MANCHESTER — While many seniors enjoy living independently, the holidays can be a difficult time for those who are unable to spend them with friends or loved ones.

This is why the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Manchester is inviting the community to brighten Christmas for seniors through its Be a Santa to a Senior program, which provides gifts and companionship at a time when seniors may need it most.

Home Instead, which offers in-home care services for seniors, has partnered with the Community Action Program, Meals on Wheels and Liberty House to help collect and distribute gifts.

Be a Santa to a Senior trees will be on display through Friday, Dec. 15, at eight locations. The trees are decorated with paper ornaments that include seniors’ first names and their desired gifts. Christmas shoppers can choose an ornament, buy the requested gift and return it with the ornament attached. There’s no need to worry about wrapping — community volunteers and program partners will wrap and deliver the gifts to seniors.

The trees can be found at the following locations.

In Concord

• Concord Technical High School, 170 Warren St.

• Merrimack Valley Savings Bank, 89 N. Main St.

In Manchester

• Chalifour’s Flowers, 46 Elm St.

• Coldwell Banker Realty, 803 Elm St.

• St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St.

• Meetinghouse at Riverfront, 60 Riverfront Drive.

• State Farm, 510 Kelley St.

• Bellman’s Jewelers, 1650 Elm St.

Lisa and Frank Byrne of the Home Instead Senior Care Manchester office said the program brings seniors gifts, which they might not receive otherwise, but more important, the gifts are delivered “with a warm, friendly face and kind words, reminding them that their community cares about them.”

For more information, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 668-6868.

Wheelock Terrace presents Senior Service Award

HANOVER — Barb Kline-Schoder, who for the past five years has served as a volunteer for Bayada Hospice, was presented the annual Wheelock Terrace Assisted Living Senior Service Award during a ceremony last week at the senior living community.

Wheelock Terrace presents the award each year to a senior volunteer who gives back to the community. Kline-Schoder assists hospice patients and their families during end-of-life care. She goes to senior living communities and private homes for respite visits, vigils and regularly scheduled meetings.

“We’re personally touched by the work of local volunteers who come into our community daily, and we have personally witnessed Barb’s dedication,” said Melissa Suckling, executive director of Wheelock Terrace. “Individuals like Barb Kline-Schoder selflessly serve our community without any thought of praise and make a tremendous difference in the lives of those they meet.”

Wheelock Terrace also recognized Bayada Hospice for its commitment to providing clinical care and support services at home for children and adults of all ages.

Both the hospice and Kline-Schoder were awarded a gift of $500 from Wheelock Terrace.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition,” said Kline-Schoder. “I never expected anyone to give me an award for doing something that is just a part of who I am. Working with hospice patients and their families is an honor; I consider it a gift to be let in during the final transition of life. It’s a privilege that I don’t take lightly, and I am humbled to make things better for them.”

For more about Wheelock Terrace go to www.terracecommunities.com.

Nashua library program on assistive hearing devices

NASHUA — The Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St., will host a program on assistive hearing devices at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7.

The program, “Beyond the Hearing Aid,” will be given by Joan Marcoux, a hearing, speech and vision specialist with the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services.

Marcoux will discuss the many devices — aside from hearing aids — available to help people with hearing impairments. Among them are vibrating alarm clocks, phones with captioning, visual and tactile smoke detectors, and iPad apps.

For directions and parking information go to www.nashualibrary.org/visit/directions.